Sheet-opening machine



May 18, 1926,. 1,584,900

C. A. STREB ET AL SHEET OPENING MACHINE Filed July 15 1925 Patented May 18, 1926.

- UNITED STATES v PATENT oFFwE.

CHARLES A. STREB AND ARTHUR J. MASKREY, JR., 013 CANTON, OHIO.

SHEET-OPENING- MACHINE.

Application filed July 13, 1925. Serial No. 43,158.

The invention relates to a machine for separating metal sheets of a pack into which they have been folded and rolled in a hot mill for reducing them to a desired thickness or gauge; and the object of the im provement is to separate the sheets in .such a pack by apparatus and mechanism, as distinguished from the manual means frequently employed forthat purpose, and to do the same without tearing or unduly wrinkling the sheets, so that they can be readily lifted apart when delivered from the machine or apparatus in a flat condition for the finishing or coating processes.

The above and ancillary objects may be attained by providing a pair of rolls adapted to grip the pack and pull the same through the machine, one ormore bars being loosely journaled in front of the pinch of the rolls, the sheets of the pack being first manually separated, if necessary, at one end of the pack to receive said bar or bars, the

rolls drawing the pack over .said loosely journaled bar or bars and separating the sheets of the pack without tearing or wrinkling the same.

An embodiment ofthe invention is il lustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through the improved sheet opening machine showing t e same equipped with two loosely ournaled sheet separating bars;

Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse section through the sheet opening bars shown in Fig. 1, showing the bars in compressed position with relationto each other.

Fig. 3, a plan view of said bars;

Fig. 4, an elevation of one of the rolls of the machine, and,

Fig. 5, a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the machine equipped with a single sheet separating bar.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawmg.

The machine may be mounted in a pair of spaced housings 1 in which are journaled the driven rolls 2 arranged to be operated by any suitable power means in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 1 and 5. In rolling sheets in a hot mill it frequently happens that two sheets become welded together in spots, such sheets being commonly referred toas stickers. The present machine is especially designed to separate the sheets of these stickers without bending-' ing substantially flat cooperating} faces 6 and curved working faces-7 may be loosely journaled as indicated at 8 inthe housings ,1.

One of these bars 5 may beprovided with a longitudinal groove 9 to receive the tongue 10 upon the other bar and coil springs 11 may be located in sockets 12 provided in the bars for normally separating the bars as illustrated in Fig. 1.

A table 13 may be located adjacent to the -machi-ne for receiving the packs or stickers 1 1, the end portion of each sticker being manually separated, if necessary, in order that the same may be passed around the separating bar and entered into the pinch of the rolls 2.

It frequently happens thatthe operator, in inserting the ends of the sheets between the rolls 2, gets one sheet or the other twisted slightly at an angle to the remaining sheet, producing a buckle in the sheet which is so twisted, frequently causing the same to be torn as it passes through the machine.

In order to overcome this difliculty, one of the driven rolls 2 has a flat portion 15. Thus if either of the sheets is twisted in inserting the pack into the machine, it will automatically right itself as this flat portion passes into the pinch of the rolls, as shownin Fig. 5, momentarily releasing the sheets from the pressure of the rolls.

In operating the machine to separate pack or stickers with the single separating bar as illustrated in Fig. 5, the bar 3 being looselyjournaled is free to turn in either direction by the movement of the sheets around the same. V

In using the two separating bars as shown in Fig. 1 each bar is free to move toward or from the other bar, the springs 11 normally holding the bars. away from each other as illustrated in Fig. 1, while in the event a tightly welded spot in the sticker or pack is reached, the pressure of the sheets upon the bars Will move the same toward each other as shown in Fig. 2, against the action of the springs, and as soon as this extreme pressure is removed, the bars will again be free to operate, assisting in separating the sheets.

Machines of this character are present in actual use and it has been found by experience that with either the single separating bar or the plural separating bar from seventy-five to eighty-live per cent of all of the packs or stickers passed through the machines are satisfactorily opened.

e claim:

1. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a loosely journaled separating bar free to move with the movement of the sheets and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each side of the bar.

2. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a loosely journaled separating bar free to move with the movement of the sheets, and rolls for drawing one sheet of the pack over each side of the bar.

3. Openingmechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of loosely journaled separating bars free to move with the movement of the sheets and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each of said bars.

4. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of loosely journaled separating bars free to move with the movement of the sheets, and rolls for drawing one sheet of the pack over each of said bars.

5. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of separating bars each journaled at one side of its longitudinal axis and free to move with the movement of the sheets, and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each of said bars.

6. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of separating bars each journaled at one side of its longitudinal axis and free to move with the movement of the sheets, means for normally urging the bars apart, and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each oi said bars.

7. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of separating bars each journaled at one side of its longitudinal axis and free to move with the movement of the sheets, a tongue and groove joint between the opposite sides of the bars, and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each of said bars.

8. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including a pair of separating bars each journaled at one side of its longitudinal axis and tree to move with the movement of the sheets, springs for normally urging the bars apart, and means for drawing one sheet of the pack over each of said bars.

9. Opening mechanism for a pack of sheets including sheet separating means and a pair of coacting rolls for drawing a pack through the same, one oi said rolls having a flat face spaced from each end and spaced from the periphery of the other roll to provide a relieving space between the rolls at every revolution.

In testimony that we claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

CHARLES A. STREB. ARTHUR J. MASKREY, Jn. 

